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OwnerDarren Davies, Kevin Walker +2inventors
InventorsDarren Davies, Kevin Walker, Matthew Hicks, Vito Ronzano, JR.
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This specification relates to systems, methods and apparatus for automating and guiding the delivery of concrete from a concrete mixer. According to a first aspect of this specification, there is described a system for positioning a delivery chute (104, 210) of a concrete mixer vehicle (100, 200), the system comprising: one or more vehicle positioning sensors (116) for determining location data specifying a location of the concrete mixer vehicle (100, 200); the delivery chute (104, 210) for delivering the concrete mix from a concrete mixing drum (102) to a target location (204), the delivery chute (104, 210) comprising: one or more chute positioning sensors (112) for monitoring a position of the delivery chute (104, 210); and one or more actuators (110) for positioning the delivery chute (104, 210); one or more processors; and a memory, the memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a method positioning a delivery chute (104, 210) of a concrete mixer vehicle (100, 200). The method comprises: determining, based on the location data, whether the concrete mixer vehicle (200) is at a target vehicle location (206); initiating, based at least in part on determining that the concrete mixer vehicle (200) is at the target vehicle location (206), deployment of the delivery chute (210) from the concrete mixing vehicle (200); positioning, based at least in part on data from the one or more chute positioning sensors (112), the delivery chute (210) to a target delivery location (204) using the one or more actuators (110); and indicating, to a user of the concrete mixer vehicle, that the chute is in a correct position for concrete delivery.
A system for positioning a delivery chute of a concrete mixer vehicle, the system comprising:
The system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more vehicle positioning sensors comprises an satellite positioning sensor, and wherein determining whether the concrete mixer vehicle is at the target vehicle location comprises detecting that the vehicle is in a predefined location or range of locations using the satellite positioning sensor.
The system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more vehicle positioning sensors comprises a laser target detection sensor, and wherein determining whether the concrete mixer vehicle is at the target vehicle location comprises detecting a laser marker positioned at the delivery location.
The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a display, wherein the method further comprises:
The system of any preceding claim, wherein positioning the delivery chute to the target delivery location using the one or more actuators comprises automatically positioning the delivery chute at a pre-defined height above the target delivery location.
The system of any preceding claim, wherein positioning the delivery chute to a target delivery location using the one or more actuators comprises:
The system of any preceding claim, further comprising, subsequent to indicating that the chute is in a correct position for concrete delivery, delivering the concrete mix from the concrete mixing vehicle to the target delivery location.
The system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more actuators for positioning the delivery chute comprises one or more of:
The system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more chute positioning sensors comprises any one or more of:
A concrete mixer vehicle comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.